Directed by RaMell Ross, who co-wrote the screenplay with Joslyn Barnes, in turn based on the book The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, Nickel Boys [the film] follows the friendship between two young Black teenagers navigating the harrowing trials of reform school together in Florida, and this definitely feels like one to watch out for.

Seemingly filmed in a first-person perspective, which has begun to appear of late – see Everardo González‘s recent documentary A Wolfpack Called Ernesto as a strong example, this one captures a generational time with a really interesting vibe flowing through it. Here’s some official synopsis, the trailer is just below, let me know what you think!

Elwood Curtis’s college dream shatters alongside a two-lane Florida highway. Bearing the brunt of an innocent misstep, he’s sentenced to the netherworld of Nickel Academy, a brutal reformatory sunk deep in the Jim Crow South.

He encounters another ward, the seen-it-all Turner. The two Black teens strike up an alliance: Turner dispensing fundamental tips for survival, Elwood, clinging to his optimistic worldview.

Backdropped by the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement, Elwood and Turner’s existence appear worlds away from Rev. Martin Luther King’s burnished oratory. Despite Nickel’s brutality, Elwood strives to hold onto his humanity, awakening a new vision for Turner.

Nickel Boys comes to UK and Irish cinemas from 8 November